Equivelant Exchange
by 4485
Summary: Imagine this: Colonel Bastard gets shot, Envy tells me that the only way to save him is to use Human Transmutation. So I do, you know, 'cause I owe him alot, right? But I don't like what the truth takes away... or does it strengthen my love life?
1. Truth

There was a gunshot. My hand froze on the doorknob to Mustang's office. An incessant, revolting laughter rang through the hallway. I pushed the door open and saw Colonel Mustang lying over his desk, bleeding onto his paperwork. For once, his black hair was scraggly and a mess, unlike how well kept he usually kept it. Off in the corner stood Envy, a gun in his hand. There was smoke, still coming out. I felt my heart stop. If I tried to approach the injured brunette, I would be shot.

"What're you waiting for?" The green haired man taunted, dropping the gun. "You want to save him, and I want- no, need- you to save him. I promise I won't shoot you."

That was enough. My feet carried me over to the desk as fast as they would take me, and I pushed the taller man up, forcing his back into the chair. "Colonel!" I screamed, taking his uniform jacket off. Hopefully, the bullet didn't go all the way in…

His eye opened, reluctantly. "…Fullmetal…?" He whispered, as his pupil slowly melted into his iris, and then they were both gray.

I turned to stare at Envy. He had just killed a man. Was he feeling bad about it?

He flicked his green hair out of his face. "You know what you have to do." I did. "And if you do it quickly, you won't have to give too much… I hope."

My eyes wandered back to Mustang. Human transmutation was the only choice at this point. Biting my lip, I clapped my hands together, just as the door opened, revealing Al and Izumi. We had brought her here to meet the colonel (just because she didn't like the way I described him- tall, sadistic, and cocky).

I murmured a sorry, and pressed my hands to the bullet wound. Al screamed, and Izumi freaked out, but that was all I saw.

Next thing I knew, I was in a completely white room, except for a black gate and a transparent man.

The transparent man spoke slowly, as if I was stupid. I probably was, but I didn't care. "Welcome back, alchemist."

Suddenly, I knew where I was. Back, with the truth, face to face with the gate.

"What would you like to give this time? Your other leg? Maybe the other arm? How about blood? Or maybe your eyesight…?"

My voice wouldn't work, but that wasn't because it was taken. It was because I didn't have anything to say.

"I know. How about I give you a special offer."

I nodded. Anything that would get his life back was worth it.

"The man's life, the boy's body, the woman's internal organs, and your limbs all back."

That was too simple. What would I have to trade, my heart? Brain?

"All for your memories."

My voice came back. "What?"

"Sixteen years of your life, all the memories, everything you know. You'll start all over, with a whole body, with all your friends and family complete. Do you want it? Or do you want to go back to where you were, on that man's desk, unable to breath because I took your lungs? Because that'd be the price for his life."

I opened my eyes wide. I was getting an easy break.

"Or, I could cut you the exact same deal, except better. I could bring your mom back…"

I found it hard to breath already.

"But it'd cost you your virginity." The transparent man smirked, walking over and placing his hand on my chin, jerking my head up to face him.

"How about not? I'll take-no, You'll take my memories." I chuckled, whacking his hand off. "But I have one thing to ask."

"Sure, why not. I'm in a good mood. What do you need, soon-to-be-forgetful?"

Swallowing my pride, I pleaded, "Will you let me remember my crush?"

It was deathly silent for a moment. "Your what?"

"My crush. The person I like. You know, the person I want to go out with?"

"I understand… But I thought you might ask to remember your brother, or something."

"No… I want to remember the most important person in my life."

"…Fine. You can remember your 'crush', but you can't remember who she is… or is it a he?"

I didn't respond. Visions of Colonel Mustang ran through my head, and then they appeared on the walls. My face turned bright red, and we both knew why I was willing to give so much. He laughed, and the gate opened slowly.

"Prepare for the worst pain you'll ever feel…" The man smirked sadistically, and disappeared. My heart beat loudly as the gate kept opening, making fairly loud noises. From inside, I heard screaming. People were screaming. Suddenly, I knew I had made a horrible decision. I'd never be able to get my memories back. The transparent man's voice rang through my head. _The worst pain…. The worst pain… _

Arms shot from the blackness inside the gate. They wrapped around my head, sliding through it and coming out the other side. I cried out in pain. Before I could recover, another pair of arms came forward and did the same. After ten or so repetitions of this, the gate closed, and I heard a voice.

"Good bye, Alchemist."

The white flashed, disappeared, and suddenly I was in an office. My hands were resting on a tall man's chest, on a bloodstain. Thoughts of the worst kind ran through my head. _Did I just kill him? Is this man dead? _ His eyes opened slowly, and I almost gasped at the beauty of the charcoal black coloring.

"Fullmetal?" A voice whispered, and I took it to be his. However, I was just about unconscious at this point, and I fell forward. Arms started around me, but I went numb. The voice went louder. "Fullmetal! Ed!" I tried to lift my head. I found that I couldn't, and I was in excruciating pain, despite being numb. The voice shrieked, "Edward!", and the world slowly went black.


	2. The hospital room day one

I awoke, and found myself in a hospital room. Next to me was a man with short black hair, and right behind him were two teenagers, the boy with light brown hair and the girl with a long blonde ponytail. None of them were people I recognized. However, something told me that I wouldn't recognize anyone, whether they knew me or not.

The teenage boy smiled when we made eye contact. "Brother!" he exclaimed, and I knew I was in for it. I couldn't even remember my own brother. What kind of person am I?

"Fullmetal!" the raven-haired man smiled. Such a weird name… Is that my name? Or a nickname?

"How're you feeling, Brother???" the teen asked, almost jumping on the bed.

The only thing I could say, no matter how much I knew it would hurt them, came out of my mouth, "Who are you?" I wondered, scanning over all of them.

There was a bit of silence, and then the man spoke again. "Are you feeling ok, Fullmetal?"

"Why do you keep calling me that? Is that my name?" Sitting up, I tried to place a name for every face I saw, but none came.

The blonde woman finally said something, but I'd rather she had been quiet. She yelled at me, "Are you kidding? You don't remember your own brother, your superior, or your friend?"

"Is that what you guys are?"

"Brother?" My 'brother' called. "Do you really not remember me?"

I shook my head. What was I to say, of course I remember you, how could I forget you? It would already be an outright lie.

"Well," the tall man smiled. "I guess the only thing we can do now is reintroduce ourselves."

I liked that idea. "…I'll probably sound stupid, but can you start with me?"

The two teenagers looked at me like I was a nut, and the raven haired man laughed. "Sure. Your name is Edward Elric, you're sixteen, blond, five foot-"

"You don't need to describe me, just tell me who I am." I giggled.

"If you say so. Well, you're known as the Fullmetal Alchemist, and you're an important asset to the military."

"Sixteen and already in the military?" I asked, and then shook my head. "Well, I guess I can believe it. Ok, so who are you guys?"

The man continued speaking, not letting the other two talk. My supposed brother looked heart broken, which hurt me. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, your superior in the military."

"What do I call you then? Colonel, Mustang, Roy…?"

"Usually, Bastard. But, if you're in a good mood, knock on wood, you call me Mustang or Colonel, though I really don't care what you call me."

I nodded, then turned my head to the teenagers. "And who're you?"

"I'm Winry Rockbell, one of your childhood friends, and your previous automail mechanic." The blonde responded.

"Automail?" I asked, raising my hands to look. No, they were both flesh.

"You don't have them anymore." Winry murmured, almost as if she was depressed about it. "Something happened, and you gave a lot of people what they needed. You got Al's body back, the Colonel's life back, your teacher's internal intestines, and your arm and leg."

My brother spoke, "But something had to be taken away. All the doctors say you're fine, but equivalent exchange is the law of the earth, to receive something, you must give something of equal value must be lost."

"You're Al?" I asked, figuring that he must be the one who got his body back. It looked new, as if it hadn't been touched. But at the same time, it looked old, as if it's been stored in a closet for years.

"Eh? Yeah, I'm Al. Your younger brother."

"Nice to meet you all for a second time, I guess." I smiled.

"Brother?" Al wondered, and then went silent.

"Yeah?"

After a moment of silence, Roy obviously asked the question that was in everyone's mind. "How did you lose your memory? Do you know?"

I tried to remember. "…I saw a big white room… there was a black gate… and a transparent man?" No one said anything, obviously expecting me to continue. "And… I made a deal with him… Something happened… then I was in an office, and I saw Mr. Mustang… Then next thing I know, I'm here."

"How did you get to the room?" Al asked, but he looked like he knew the answer. I just wish I did.

"Um... Lemme see..." Different theories flashed through my mind, crumbling before I could scan through it. I suddenly got a headache, and it spread through my body. It got to the point where I was shaking, caressing my head with my hands. Air became sparce, and I started gasping.

"Fullmetal!"Roy yelled, and made me look at him.

Winry and Al had backed up, afraid that something would happen.

"nnghh!" I moaned, crying lightly, then pressed my face into the man's shoulder. His arms slowly wrapped around me, and within moments, I was being held in his lap.

"Sssh, Ed... Calm down... It's ok...Tell me what's wrong." He comforted, whispering into my ear. My breathing normalized, and I grasped his shirt, creating wrinkles in the blue fabric. The raven-haired man rubbed the back of my head, massaging in big circles. It felt really nice.

"Brother? Are you going to be ok?" Al asked, putting his hand on my back. "We can get a doctor to look at you if you need."

"I'll be fine..." I murmured, shook my head no, listening to Roy's heartbeat. It sped up when I touched my cheek to his neck, but then it went back to normal speed.

"You sure?" Winry wondered, pulling Al back a bit. I then heard her whisper to my brother, "C'mon Al, let's leave them alone for a bit."Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Al nod, and then they both left the room, leaving Roy and I alone.

"Ed..." The raven-haired man said, dreamily. "I think you saved my life earlier."

I looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Before you passed out, in the office. I had been shot." He stated, plain as day. For some reason, that thought scared me, and I hugged him tightly. "Haha, Don't worry, Ed. I'm fine now. But the last thing I saw before, well, I guess, dying, was you, crying over me. I think you were crying, actually. I don't remember."

I was speechless, but I squirmed lightly in his lap.

"And when I came back from death, there you were, your hands clapped over my heart- where the bullet wound was. And now, I'm healthier than I've ever been before."

Sighing, I looked him in the eye. Then I rested my face on his shoulder, and fell asleep. I was tired, and this was the comfiest place in the room.


End file.
